Colombian transplant Kike Posada has been in the entertainment and media realms for a long time, keeping his eye on the Latin market and his finger on the pulse of what's hot. He pioneered a Latin rock show in Miami back in the day on a (now defunct) rock station, rather than attempt to get the show on one of the Latin dials. And his magazine, Boom!, has been at the forefront of Latin Alternative coverage for years. So it's no surprise Posada was approached to host a Boom! Showcase of Latin music during MMF this year.
Which is to say, homeboy's rather busy. Particularly this week. But Kike still took a few minutes out to chat with Crossfade earlier in the week to share his views on trends in the Latin world, and the importance of a citywide music festival to the 305.
New Times: You've got a big showcase happening on Friday. How did you get involved with Miami Music Festival?
Posada: At one point I was approached by them (MMF) earlier this year; they wanted to link BOOM to their Latin events, as BOOM being an outlet for Latin music and especially Latin alternative in the city.
What can you tell us about the Boom Showcase?
They are all new talents, except for Riccardo Perotti, who just moved to Miami but is a household name in Ecuador.
How did you select the artists that are being featured?
There was a list of pre-candidates, at BOOM we chose the final ones based on variety and creativity.
As somebody based in this city who's covered music for many years, what's your take on a festival like this, and how important do you think it is in establishing a local scene?
It's vital. Miami needs events like these. We are such a diverse and eclectic community that we need to come together at one point and say, "we are everything that we hear in Miami, none of us is going anywhere, we better get to know each other and work together to make our city."
What do you think is the most interesting trend you've observed in Latin music in recent years?
Anything ethnic meeting electronics. Bands in countries like Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Brazil or Colombia dig in their roots to rescue instruments and sonorities to process what with loops and samplers and come up with a new sound. The new world music is electronic.
